BJP jittery as 21 MLAs attend Yeddyurappa party meeting

BS Yeddyurappa took charge of the Karnataka Janata Partyat a well-attended function in Haveri.

HAVERI: The Jagadish Shettar government was rendered wobbly on Sunday, after 21 BJP legislators defiantly attended the Haveri convention of former CM BS Yeddyurappa's Karnataka Janata Party (KJP).

Claiming that the presence of 15 MLAs and 6 MLCs has reduced the BJP government to a minority, Yeddyurappa dared Shettar to dissolve the assembly. However, BSY may not want to risk early elections and push things to their logical conclusion. Also he may not want to be seen as the man who brought down a fellow Lingayat's govt.

The BJP, on its part, called off the 4pm scheduled briefing where it was expected to spell out its action against the rebels. The party leaders are now expected to meet on Monday to decide the course of action. But BJP may not really act against the rebels as it would jeopardize its only government south of the Vindhyas.

On Saturday, the BJP high command had said that it would not hesitate to act against anyone attending the Haveri convention. It had suspended Tumkur Lok Sabha MP G S Basavaraj from the party and sacked cooperation minister B J Puttaswamy.

Shettar, meanwhile, attributed the MLAs' defiance to pressure from BSY. "There is no threat to my government. I will apprise the high command about the legislators' participation in the event. A suitable decision will be taken," he said.

The CM also said some known MLA-supporters of Yeddyurappa like Vishwanath Mamani had personally called him to say that they did not go to the convention.

Yeddyurappa, however, breathed fire and brimstone during his 25-minute speech at the rally, where he assumed office as KJP president. Claiming that the BJP is acting against his supporters, he said: "Let me see what action the party will take against the MLAs who attended my rally. These 15 MLAs have proved that Shettar has no majority," he said.

BJP has limited options

The ruling BJP may not want to take action against the rebels as it would jeopardize its only government south of the Vindhyas. But to show that it means business, the BJP might target the MLCs and approach council chairman DH Shankaramurthy for their disqualification.

But the dissidence may result in Belgaum session of the legislature ending abruptly instead of the scheduled December 13.

If the government is in trouble on the numbers' front, a spell of presidential rule before the impending elections in May cannot be ruled out.

Meanwhile, it was a hectic day for chief minister Jagadish Shettar in his home town Hubli on Sunday as he kept answering many calls of BJP MLAs and ministers, who were trying to prove their loyalty to the party

Shettar who was here to attend various programmes kept himself busy when his predecessor and former CM BS Yeddyurappa officially took charge of Karnataka Janata Party in Haveri.

Sources close to the CM told TOI that some MLAs confessed to him that they were forced to attend a breakfast hosted by Yeddyurappa in Haveri but they refused to go on the dais. Savadatti MLA Vishwanath Mamani who was reportedly upset when his name along with 13 other MLAs was flashed on a TV channel of attending the meet spoke to the CM clarifying his position.

Yeddyurappa's next move: I will tour the entire state and spend two days in a district. I will not sit in Bangalore and identify candidates for elections. I will go to the constituencies and identify deserving and honest candidates.''